Here is a late 1950’s era football situation involving a tight end and a defensive back. The larger of the two is the tight end and, as a lineman, wears thigh and knee pads and high top shoes. He is about ten yards past the line of scrimmage and has broken his intended pattern to reach back for an under-thrown or, possibly, tipped ball. He is in an awkward and vulnerable position.

In this rendering, I eliminated the single bar face masks of the time to simplify and make visible the players’ faces.

The slightly smaller and faster defensive back wears no thigh pads. The back also has low cut shoes and has cut his pants off above the knee, all intended to increase mobility. He has developed considerable momentum and clearly sees the tight ends’ dilemma.

The upcoming collision will most certainly cause the tight end some discomfort and the question is whether or not he will be able to hold onto the ball.